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Assumption Articulation
Examine the Assumptions Behind your Problem
Look over your written statements of the problem and your lists of constraints
and write out a list of the assumptions behind each item. In these three steps, you'll
have a three-part list:
A. General assumptions. These are the assumptions you make without thinking or
realizing that you have made them. Some of them are necessary, but some may not be.
Write out even the most obvious ones.
B. Assumptions at the crux. These assumptions are usually made consciously, but are
not often examined critically to determine whether they are necessary or not. Again,
write them out so that each one may be examined and tested individually.
C. Assumptions determining the constraints. These are the assumptions about cost,
time, effort, size, results and so forth that you make in order to establish the
boundaries of the solution. Most of them are desirable. Sometimes one or more of
them will be made too hastily, though, so that they deserve reexamination as well as
the other kinds.
Let's say you are the manager of a factory that makes portable electric generators.
Your product is largely bolted together at final assembly by workers using air
wrenches. The wrenches, like those you hear screaming in auto repair shops, make a
lot of noise, hurting the workers' hearing and job satisfaction. Your problem is, "How
can we reduce the noise made by these air wrenches?"
Note that as with most problem statements, the problem as stated implies certain
solutions. If you simply accepted the problem as stated, you would probably think of
some possible alternatives like these:
put silencers or mufflers on the wrenches
build a sound proof room for the wrench assembly
install lead curtains around the assembly area to soak up the noise

 install a sound "canceler"

But instead of this, you decide to do some assumption articulation. Here are some of
the assumptions being made:
1. Air wrenches are noisy.
2. We must use air wrenches to put the parts together.
3. People must use the air wrenches.
4. We must use wrenches.
5. The fastening must take place in this area or in this factory.
6. Bolts must be used to hold the pieces together.
7. The employees don't like the noise.
As you think about these assumptions, some new ideas come to you:
1. Air wrenches are noisy. Are all air wrenches equally noisy? Can we buy a quieter
brand? Is there a "silent air wrench" being sold?
2. We must use air wrenches to put the parts together. Why not use manual wrenches,
or electric wrenches, or hydraulic wrenches?
3. People must use the air wrenches. Why not use robots? Can we use the wrenches
less? Rotate employees so that each one uses the wrenches just a little each day.
4. We must use wrenches. Why not use other tools? Nut drivers?
5. The fastening must take place in this area of the factory. Why not move it outside?
Subcontract it? Put it in a special soundproof room?
6. Bolts must be used to hold the pieces together. Why not rivets? Spot welding?
Adhesive? Screws? Clamps? Mold some of the pieces together so they need not be
bolted or fastened at all?
7. The employees don't like the noise. Get employees who like noise? Who don't hear
it (like deaf people)? Give them ear muffs? Play loud music to mask the noise?
Note that ideas like robots, deaf employees, adhesive bonding and so on would not be
suggested by the original form of the problem statement, which is based on several
perhaps unnecessary assumptions. A little assumption articulation breaks our thinking
out of these restraints and allows us to see some new possibilities.